Barbara Ann Corcoran

 Barbara Ann Corcoran (born March 10 1949) is an American businesswoman, investor, speaker, consultant, syndicated columnist, author, and television personality. The Corcoran Group, an NYC-based real estate brokerage, was founded by Corcoran. NRT bought it in 2001 for $66 million. Corcoran later left the company. Corcoran is among ABC's first Shark Tank investors. To date, she has been in every 12 season of Shark Tank. In February of 2020, she had signed 53 deals with the show, the largest being a $350,000 investment in 40% of Coverplay. Corcoran is the second child of 10 from a family of Irish Catholics who worked hard, was born in Edgewater in New Jersey. Florence Corcoran's mother was an excellent household worker. Edwin W. Corcoran Jr. was her father. He moved from one job to the next throughout Corcoran's youth. Her family depended sometimes on food delivered by a friendly local grocer for free food. Corcoran remembers her father as one who sometimes consumed too much alcohol and treated her mother with disrespect and contempt, particularly when he was drinking. Corcoran struggled throughout her schooling, later learning that she had dyslexia. Corcoran started in high school at St. Cecilia High School Englewood after attending a Catholic primary school. After failing several courses in her freshman year, Corcoran transferred to Leonia High School in Leonia, where she was a D-student when she graduated.